RR vs CSK Today Match Preview — IPL 2026 Match 3, Guwahati
IPL 2026 Match 3 brings together two teams with a point to prove. Rajasthan Royals host Chennai Super Kings at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati today, Monday 30 March 2026, at 7:30 PM IST. Both sides finished at the bottom of the IPL 2025 points table — this is the opening game of a season that must go differently for both franchises.
The storylines are rich. Sanju Samson faces his former team RR in CSK colours after the blockbuster trade. Ravindra Jadeja lines up for RR against the side he represented for years. Riyan Parag takes charge as RR captain for the first time in an IPL opener. And CSK are missing both MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis through injury.
Match Details
Match: RR vs CSK — IPL 2026, Match 3
Date: Monday, 30 March 2026
Time: 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Barsapara Cricket Stadium (ACA Stadium), Guwahati, Assam
Live Streaming: JioHotstar
TV Broadcast: Star Sports Network
Team News — CSK Injury Update
Chennai Super Kings have been hit hard before their season even begins. MS Dhoni is ruled out for the first two weeks of IPL 2026 with a calf strain — a significant blow to both CSK's finishing ability and their tactical flexibility behind the stumps. Dewald Brevis has been ruled out of this specific match with a side strain. Nathan Ellis has been ruled out for the entire season with a hamstring injury.
Rajasthan Royals are also missing Sam Curran due to injury, but their squad depth means they can absorb this loss more comfortably than CSK can manage theirs.
Venue — Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
The Barsapara Stadium is Riyan Parag's home ground — the RR captain hails from Assam — which adds a personal dimension to the occasion. RR have played six IPL matches at this venue, winning two and losing three with one no result. The ground has a T20-friendly surface with good pace and carry.
RR beat CSK at this exact venue in IPL 2025 by six runs, defending a score of 182. The familiarity and the home crowd support will give Rajasthan a genuine edge today.
Pitch Report — Barsapara Stadium
The Guwahati surface provides a balanced contest between bat and ball. The pitch offers consistent bounce which allows stroke-makers to play their shots freely. Early in the innings, pacers can extract movement off the surface, but conditions ease for batting as the game progresses.
Dew is expected to be a significant factor in the second innings under floodlights, making it harder for bowlers — especially spinners — to grip the ball. Teams winning the toss are likely to opt to bowl first and chase with dew assistance. The average first innings score at this venue is around 170 to 185.
Head-to-Head Record
Overall head-to-head between RR and CSK is extremely close — CSK lead 16 wins to RR's 15 in 31 meetings across IPL history. However recent form strongly favours Rajasthan Royals. RR have won four of the last five encounters between these sides, with CSK's only win during this run coming at Chepauk in May 2024.
At Guwahati specifically, RR won the only previous meeting between these sides at this venue — by six runs in IPL 2025. The home ground advantage is real and the head-to-head momentum is with Rajasthan.
RR Team Preview
Rajasthan Royals come into IPL 2026 with a significantly reshuffled squad. The biggest arrival is Ravindra Jadeja, who comes in as part of the Sanju Samson trade and immediately strengthens both RR's middle-order batting and their spin bowling options. Yashasvi Jaiswal and explosive young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi give RR one of the most exciting top-order combinations in the tournament.
Riyan Parag takes the captaincy with something to prove — he has been with the franchise for years and now leads them for the first time. Shimron Hetmyer provides the finishing muscle, while Jofra Archer is the most dangerous powerplay bowler in this fixture. Ravi Bishnoi and Jadeja give them genuine spin variety.
CSK Team Preview
Chennai Super Kings are dealing with disruption but still carry significant firepower. Ruturaj Gaikwad leads the side and opens the batting — his form sets the tone for everything CSK do. New signing Sanju Samson, traded for a record ₹18 crore, brings explosive batting to the top order and will be highly motivated playing against his former franchise on their home ground.
Ayush Mhatre is a new face who could open or bat at three. Shivam Dube is the key power-hitting option in the middle order. Without Dhoni and Brevis, Sarfaraz Khan is expected to come in. Bowling relies on Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed, and spinner Noor Ahmad to take wickets in the powerplay and middle overs.
Probable Playing XI
RR (Probable): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma
CSK (Probable): Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre, Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matt Henry, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer
Final Playing XIs will be confirmed at the toss at 7:00 PM IST.
Key Player Battles
Jofra Archer vs Sanju Samson: The standout battle of this match. Archer's raw pace and ability to extract bounce at Guwahati against Samson's aggression at the top — two world-class players, one against his former franchise. This duel could decide the game's momentum in the powerplay.
Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Noor Ahmad: Jaiswal's attacking intent against Noor Ahmad's left-arm wrist spin in the middle overs. Both players are among the best in their roles in T20 cricket right now.
Ravindra Jadeja vs Ruturaj Gaikwad: Jadeja bowling to his former CSK captain in a CSK shirt — cricket does not script these moments better. Jadeja knows Gaikwad's game inside out.
Riyan Parag vs Matt Henry: The new RR captain against CSK's best pace option. Parag's ability to build a platform in the middle overs will define Rajasthan's innings depth.
Weather Report
Guwahati in late March is warm and humid. Clear skies are expected for the match with no rain forecast. Dew is almost certain to settle from around the 12th to 15th over of the second innings, which will flatten the pitch for batting and make spin bowling difficult to control. This strongly favours the chasing side.
Match Prediction
Rajasthan Royals start as favourites for this match — they are playing at their secondary home ground, their captain is from Assam, they have better recent form against CSK, and the injury situation significantly weakens Chennai's depth.
CSK are capable of pulling off results even in adversity — that is their character. Sanju Samson against his old side is an X-factor that is hard to predict. But on balance, RR's conditions advantage, home support, and stronger squad availability on the day give them the edge.
Prediction: RR to win
How to Watch
RR vs CSK on 30 March 2026 is live on Star Sports Network on television and streamed on JioHotstar. Match starts at 7:30 PM IST. Toss at 7:00 PM IST.
Live Match Updates
Live Score: RR 128/2 (12.1 overs) — CSK 127 (19.4 overs)
Top Scorer: Yashasvi Jaiswal — 54* (not out)
Best Bowler: Jofra Archer — 3 wickets
Match Result: Rajasthan Royals won by 8 wickets
This page has been updated with the final result and key performances from the RR vs CSK match on 30 March 2026.